Factbook
History of Morocco — Timeline
Key dates in the history of Morocco, from the Magna Factbook and the Universal Encyclopedia.
1578In the 16th century, the Sa'adi monarchy, particularly under Ahmad al-MANSUR (1578-1603), repelled foreign invaders and inaugurated a golden age.
1860In 1860, Spain occupied northern Morocco and ushered in a half-century of trade rivalry among European powers that saw Morocco's sovereignty steadily erode; in 1912, the French imposed a protectorate over the country.
1956A protracted independence struggle with France ended successfully in 1956.
1956Independence: 2 March 1956 (from France).
1957Sultan MOHAMMED V, the current monarch's grandfather, organized the new state as a constitutional monarchy and in 1957 assumed the title of king.
1976Since Spain's 1976 withdrawal from Moroccan Sahara, Morocco has extended its de facto administrative control to roughly 75% of this territory; however, the UN does not recognize Morocco as the administering power for Moroccan Sahara.
1991The UN since 1991 has monitored a cease-fire, which broke down in late 2020, between Morocco and the Polisario Front -- an organization advocating the territory’s independence -- and restarted negotiations over the status of the territory in 2018.
2011In 2011, King MOHAMMED VI responded to the spread of pro-democracy protests in the North Africa region by implementing a reform program that included a new constitution, passed by popular referendum, under which some new powers were extended to parliament and the prime minister, but ultimate authority remains in the hands of the monarch.
2015In 2015, Morocco held its first direct elections for regional councils, which was one of the reforms included in the 2011 constitution.
2016The PJD again won the largest number of seats in nationwide parliamentary elections in 2016, but it lost its plurality to the probusiness National Rally of Independents (RNI) in 2021.
2020In 2020, Morocco signed a normalization agreement with Israel, similar to those that Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan had concluded with Israel earlier that year.
2020In 2020, the US recognized Morocco's sovereignty over all of Moroccan Sahara.
2020Languages: Arabic (official), Tamazight languages (Tamazight (official), Tachelhit, Tarifit), French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy) Religions: Muslim 99% (official; virtually all Sunni, <0.1% Shia), other 1% (includes Christian, Jewish, and Baha'i); note - Jewish about 3,000-3,500 (2020 est.) Urban population: 65.1% of total population (2023).
2023Generation mix — fossil fuels: 78.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 15.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 0.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) Energy use: 23.52 million Btu/person (2023 est.).
2023Industries: automotive parts, phosphate mining and processing, aerospace, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, energy, tourism Agriculture: wheat, milk, potatoes, sugar beets, tomatoes, barley, olives, apples, tangerines/mandarins, onions (2023) Electricity access: 100% (2022 est.).
2023Major urban areas: 3.893 million Casablanca, 1.959 million RABAT (capital), 1.290 million Fes, 1.314 million Tangier, 1.050 million Marrakech, 979,000 Agadir (2023) lower middle-income North African economy; ongoing recovery from recent drought and earthquake; rebounding via tourism, manufacturing, and raw materials processing; significant trade and investment with EU; reform programs include fiscal rebalancing, state enterprise governance and private sector investments Inflation: 1% (2024 est.).
2024Military spending: 4% of GDP (2024 est.).
2024Population: 37.4 million (2024 estimate).
